Oyster Custom Bamboo Fly Rods Ultimate Crafted in America Now also Building Saltwater Models
AmericanPresstravelNews.com-W.S.Oyster, Rod Maker– Blue Ridge, GA.-June 20th, –“Bob & Barb On the Road Again.”-When you find the best of the best in any endeavor, you feel the need to revel in those that have achieved great success, especially when they also pass it on! From what Barb and I experienced, we found this in William Stephan Oyster’s endeavors. As a hobbyist, angler originally from N.W. Wyoming, in 1998 he took his fly fishing into his artistic schooling background thinking of Fly fishing as more of a journey than a destination.
After moving to Blue Ridge, GA. and making a bamboo rod for a friend, the word got out about his craftsmanship and he found himself not only crafting high-end, engraved rods, but also teaching the art, starting in 2000. His 7-day course has been enjoyed and coveted by thousands to date. He now keeps his business tight to no more than 100-students per year, who pay 1760.00 dollars each, and get to take home the rod they craft. While in the class they have a room at the Oyster House accommodations, very convenient right over his shop where after dinner they can have a beer and smoke a cigar if they like. “It’s a learning vacation for my students, who get to keep what they learn to create.” At the store Oyster Rods start at $2390 per rod, and as they get fancier with custom rod butts engraved to the customers specifications the costs go up. Jimmy Carter ordered a high-end model and high end goes in the neighborhood of $17,000 each (and way up to near $60-K) and wait on line. These are all crafted, hand made and it takes lots of time to make a great working, yet gorgeous working bamboo fly rod. There are now many saltwater models out there too! Check out Oyster-www.oysterbamboo.com 706-374-4239.
FIREFLY FISHING LODGE & RETREAT – A WILDLIFE LOVER AND ANGLER’S PARADISE
A room with character!
AMERICAN PRESS TRAVEL NEWS – June 20 – Mineral Bluff, Ga. Bob and Barb on the road again and we’re stopping to smell the roses on the Toccoa River Trail & waters. We’re here at the Firefly Fishing Lodge enjoying the quiet the wildlife and the beautiful waters of both a famed rainbow trout creek and the Toccoa River. Owners, Bart & Nina Gilbert checked us into a nice historically built room with all amenities you’d want for a comfortable stay. The special place was loaded with antiques from a past whose provenance, that easily can be felt here. Bart told us to look out our windows early morning and evening to view the visiting wildlife. Bart’s favorite chore is to leave corn out for the wild turkey and the very wild deer, lots of them could be seen feeding during those early and late daytime hours. Coming up to the Firefly, was a father and son weekend for Fathers Day. Several teams would come together for fly fishing and socializing around the barbecuing fun. The Lodge offers guided flyfishing, and informative tours to local waterfalls, Georgia’s highest mountain, the longest swinging bridge, east of the Mississippi, native American Historical sites and “Train Tracks” their railroad themed tour plus so much more, just ask! We viewed several rare antiques at the main lodge such as a square Grand Piano to name just one of many. The lodge offers several packages for world class fishing and family escapes for hiking, tubing, swimming, kayaking, and even old-time outdoor games. We did not experience a breakfast or any meal at the lodge, according to Nina, it just doesn’t work for them now, but we are sure if ever offered, they would be first rate! Get in touch with Bart and Nina at: 706-374-4489 www.fireflyfishinglodge.com and e-mail to fireflylodge@tds.net
Bass Are Smarter Than the Average Weekend Warrior on the Water Really Know
AmericanPressTravelNews.com–Goose Holler’ Farm, TN.–Barb and I have ‘stopped to smell the roses’-our roses! This morning, while relaxing next to our pond in TN., sipping the best coffee in the world, I spotted 3-of the largest Largemouth bass in our acre pond, swimming within 5-feet of the shore, along the wild grass where the frogs, turtles and snakes like to hide. Suddenly, all three stopped. 2-fish spanned out leaving a triangle of fish one closer to the shore the other two about 8-feet out remained motionless. The bass in the middle as if on signal charged the shore with such fury that it launched itself out onto the wet grass directly within 6-feet of where I was sitting at my umbrella shaded picnic table. Fortunately, I had my polarized glasses on. Immediately, a second after the bass spun/slid around, the other two bass waked into the attack on the small sunfish that were chased out into the open. All three bass fed. Now, we have all seen the killer whales, dolphin (mammals) display somewhat of a similar behavior, but I never saw bass do a strategic take-down before. There are many behaviors of many species of fish I’ve observed all over the world having fished everywhere, possible except China. Wished I had my cell so I could have possibly gotten a video, but when incredible things happen, we are almost totally taken by surprise and don’t have set-up time to capture it!
So I can say, perhaps G-D offered me his Fathers Day Gift? I am taking it that way, and sharing it, in any event!
Happy Pop’s Day to all! Bob